Information Sheet on Ramsar Wetlands Categories approved by Recommendation 4.7 of the Conference of the Contracting Parties.
NOTE: It is important that you read the accompanying Explanatory Note and Guidelines document before completing this form.
1. Date this sheet was completed/updated: FOR OFFICE USE ONLY. DD MM YY 02. 04. 93 2. Country : 18 11 92 Guinea Designation date Site Reference Number
3. Name of wetland: RIO KAPATCHEZ
4. Geographical coordinates: 10° 19’ -10° 31’ N, 14° 27’-14° 39’ W
5. Altitude: (average and/or max. & min.) < 5m 6. Area: (in hectares) 20,000 ha; (possibility of additional 12,000 ha) 7. Overview: (general summary, in two or three sentences, of the wetland's principal characteristics) On both banks of the lower Kapatchez including, at the river mouth, a vast expanse of very soft intertidal mudflats. The site is located at the mouth of the Rio Nunez: it contains several wetland types; mudflats, freshwater swamps and rice fields.
8. Wetland Type (please circle the applicable codes for wetland types as listed in Annex I of the Explanatory Note and Guidelines document.) Coastal and marine wetlands; type 5: sandy islet; type 7: intertidal flats; type 9: mangrove forest; type 11: freshwater swamps.
Please now rank these wetland types by listing them from the most to the least dominant:
9. Ramsar Criteria: (please circle the applicable criteria; see point 12, next page.)
1a • 1b • 1c • 1d │ 2a • 2b • 2c • 2d │ 3a • 3b • 3c │ 4a • 4b
Please specify the most significant criterion applicable to the site: ______10. Map of site included? Please tick yes ⌧ -or- no Map CCE/SECA/ 1990, 1: 200,000 (Please refer to the Explanatory Note and Guidelines document for information regarding desirable map traits). 11. Name and address of the compiler of this form:
Abdel Kader BANGOURA Division Protection de la Nature DNE Ministère des Ressources Naturelles,des Energies et de l’Environnement BP 4665 (P) Telex 22 350 Mine Geo G. E Conakry -Guinea Please provide additional information on each of the following categories by attaching extra pages (please limit extra pages to no more than 10):
12. Justification of the criteria selected under point 9, on previous page. (Please refer to Annex II in the Explanatory Note and Guidelines document). Area with a variety of systems, with a large area of very soft mudflats (feeding ground for many pelican and wader species), mangroves, rice fields, and extensive fresh and brackish water swamps. Off the coast is the islet of Khoni Benki, a nesting site with no human activity.
13. General location: (include the nearest large town and its administrative region) The site to the south of Kamsar comprises a vast expanse of mudflats between Gonzalez Point and Lake Koumba, which lies to the north of Cape Verga.
14. Physical features: (e.g. geology, geomorphology; origins - natural or artificial; hydrology; soil type; water quality; water depth water permanence; fluctuations in water level; tidal variations; catchment area; downstream area; climate) Rio Kapatchez has a small catchment area lying between Cape Verga, the Kolaboui and Gonzalez Point. Most of the site is a freshwater coastal plain with old barrier beaches. At the mouth of the Kaliki is an intertidal sand flat, with a sandy islet named Khoni Benki. The mudflats are generally very soft. Mangroves are well developed along the Kaliki, which is a tidal creek on the northern boundary of the site. The climate in coastal Guinea is semi-humid tropical, with a rainy season from May -November and a dry season from December-May, with mean annual rainfall of 3,000mm and mean temperatures of 25° C.
15. Hydrological values: (groundwater recharge, flood control, sediment trapping, shoreline stabilisation etc) no information.
16. Ecological features: (main habitats and vegetation types) Local habitats are represented on a large scale at the site.
17. Noteworthy flora: (indicating, e.g., which species/communities are unique, rare, endangered or biogeographically important, etc) no information.
18. Noteworthy fauna: (indicating, e.g., which species are unique, rare, endangered, abundant or biogeographically important; include count data, etc.) Common and rare species are present, at three main locations: mangroves: nesting ground for bird species in groups or individually; white-necked stork Ciconia episcopus, hammerhead stork Scopus ombretta, fish eagle Haliaetus vocifer, yellow-billed stork Tantalum ibis ibis; wintering ground for osprey Pandion haliaetus; mudflats: sole dry-season colony of flamingo Phoenecopterus and P. minor; large numbers of wintering waders, including several thousand avocet Avosetta recurvirostra; freshwater swamps/rice fields: nesting site for numerous white-faced treeduck Dendrocygna viduata, nesting colonies of large egrets Egretta alba, African darter Anhinga rufa and reed cormorant Phalocrorax africanus and squacco heron.
{DECEMBER 1996 VERSION} 19. Social and cultural values: (e.g. fisheries production, forestry, religious importance, archaeological site etc.) Small-scale fishing; ceremonial rites of the Boga tribe.
20. Land tenure/ownership of: (a) site and (b) surrounding area: State-owned.
21. Current land use: (a) site and (b) surroundings/catchment: • Modern, commercial rice cultivation (Monchon plain) • Traditional rice-growing for local self-sufficiency (Mankountan and Kawass plains in particular) • Small-scale fishing
22. Factors (past, present or potential) adversely affecting the site's ecological character, including changes in land use and development projects: (a) at the site: logging by outside companies (Kamsar) poaching disturbance of existing and future nesting sites possibility of 6,000-7,000 ha of land being brought under cultivation for rice on the Monchon plain SDAM (Outline mangrove management plan) (b) around the site: logging by outside companies (Kamsar)
23. Conservation measures taken: (national category and legal status of protected areas - including any boundary changes which have been made: management practices; whether an officially approved management plan exists and whether it has been implemented) Classified State property; restrictions on timber removals under the forest code.
24. Conservation measures proposed but not yet implemented: (e.g. management plan in preparation; officially proposed as a protected area etc.)Outline Mangrove Management Plan (SDAM)
25. Current scientific research and facilities: (e.g. details of current projects; existence of field station etc.) SDAM, no scientific facilities in existence
26. Current conservation education: (e.g. visitors centre, hides, information booklet, facilities for school visits etc.) The site is a good example of a varied coastal ecosystem. An awareness and education programme needs to be elaborated for the local population. The Monchon primary school located close to the egret, cormorant and anhinga colony could well serve as a nature study base.
27. Current recreation and tourism: (state if wetland is used for recreation/tourism; indicate type and frequency/intensity) The mangrove and mudflats areas are extremely impressive, and the lowland freshwater habitats have very attractive landscapes. All the habitats are home to numerous waterfowl. There is as yet no ecotourism infrastructure, but ecotourist campsites could be set up on the Mankountan/ Monchon Plains and/or on Gonzalez Point.
28. Jurisdiction: (territorial e.g. state/region and functional e.g. Dept of Agriculture/Dept. of Environment etc.) Ministère des Ressources Naturelles, des Energies et de l’Environnement BP 295 Telex 22 350 Mine Geo. G.E Conakry Guinea
29. Management authority: (name and address of local body directly responsible for managing the wetlands) Direction Nationale de l’Environnement Direction Nationale des Forêts et Chasse BP 3118 Telex 22 350 Mine Geo G.E Conakry Guinea
30. Bibliographical references: (scientific/technical only) Altenberg W et J van der Kamp. 1989. Etude ornithologique préliminaire de la zone humide côtière du nord-ouest de la Guinée. Joint report of WIWO and ICBP. WIWO report 23, Zeist and ICBP study report 30, Cambridge. Altenberg W and J van der Kamp 1991 The ornithological importance of coastal wetlands in Guinea. A and W. rapport 91.02/ICBP Study report no. 47/WIWO report no.35 Veenwouden/Cambridge/Zeist
Please return to: Ramsar Convention Bureau, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 GLAND, Switzerland Telephone: +41 22 999 0170 • Fax: +41 22 999 0169 • e- ble for managing the wetland) mail: [email protected]
{DECEMBER 1996 VERSION}